Brothers
by fangirlobsessions17
Summary: *Set S4* They're just trying to keep holding it together, for each other's sakes. But they still seem to be coming apart at the seams. Brotherly stuff and fluff, T for language, one-shot :)


**A/N: When you watch the entire 11 seasons over your summer holidays.. It's then almost expected of you to write some kind of story about it...**

The motel door opened and the light switched on, revealing 2 figures in the doorway, partly illuminated by the light. Sam and Dean Winchester walked into the room, shoulders drooping and eyes barely staying open. It had been a hard hunt, but combining it with all the hell of the seals breaking and Lucifer on the way out, they were both exhausted and run to the ground.

They threw their bags onto the beds – Sam closest to the bathroom, Dean closest to the door, as always – and set about protecting the room from anything and everything within reason. Once that was done, Dean raised an eyebrow at Sam.

"You want first shower?" Sam glanced up from sorting out his duffle. He didn't seem to be quite there, but then again, neither was Dean. They were both just running on auto pilot right now.

"Yeah, sure," said Sam, stifling a yawn. He rummaged slowly through his bag, reaching for his wash stuff and comfy clothes to change into, then wandered slowly into the bathroom. Before he closed the door though, he turned to Dean. "Hey, uh, Dean?"

"Yeah Sammy?"

"Don't… Go anywhere, OK?"

"Wasn't planning to."

"OK… Good." He then closed the door. A few minutes later Dean heard the shower start. He sighed, closing his eyes and running his hands down his face. It had been a few weeks since he'd been brought back by the angels, and the job they'd just taken was the first one since the whole Samhain incident. But it was evident that the whole 'my brother's back from hell after being murdered by hellhounds' thing clearly wasn't a thing of the past for Sam. To be honest it wasn't for Dean either.

It had been a couple of days ago just after Samhain when Dean had been lying awake (the memories of hell were still too fresh in his mind to be able to sleep properly for too long) when he'd heard Sam start whimpering. After the years he'd spent waiting up for their dad to come back after a hunt, Dean knew that this was the beginning of a nightmare for Sam. Not a vision or anything crazy like that (they had always been different and accompanied by a lot of tossing and turning and Sam wouldn't respond to Dean until the vision had run its course. Those were always the worst ones in the beginning before all this... Shit went down), just a normal, run of the mill nightmare.

Anyway, Sam had started whimpering. Dean didn't think that it would last for long, but soon the whimpers became whispers, before escalating to shouts and yells of 'Dean, Dean, DEAN! DEAN NO! NO!' and he'd started thrashing about, fighting off an invisible opponent. At that point, Dean had already jumped off his bed and was trying to shake Sam awake.

"Sam, Sammy come on, wake up!" Sam had come to with tears in his eyes and crying for Dean. Then he'd turned to Dean, thrown his arms around him, and wouldn't let go, tears streaming down his face. Dean had embraced Sam and squeezed him gently, feeling Sam's tears slowly dampening his top. When he'd asked Sam what the nightmare was about, Sam had shaken his head.

"I can't lose you again Dean. Not like that," he'd muttered, rocking softly in Dean's grip. Eventually they'd drifted off to sleep like that, embraced against each other, taking comfort in each other's presence. The next morning Dean didn't say anything, just gave Sam a hug, then looked him in the eye.

"I will always be here for you Sammy. You're not losing me again. Promise." It had been a couple of hours later as they were driving that Sam finally opened up.

"It was the hellhounds. I keep reliving that night, and every time I try to save you, but I'm never there in time… Sometimes it's not just you, sometimes I see Jess as well… And some other people." Dean just nodded, but didn't say anything else and they left it at that. For the next couple of nights, when Dean was lying awake at night and Sam started whimpering and whispering names again, Dean would go to Sam's bed and lie next to him, singing Hey Jude softly in his ear.

It always seemed to work.

Dean was pulled out of his musings by the bathroom door opening and Sam stepping out.

"All yours, dude," he said, jabbing a thumb tiredly over his shoulder. Dean reached over to his own duffel and pulled out his own wash stuff and clothes, before he headed to the bathroom. As he stripped and got in the shower, he thought maybe he would actually get some sleep tonight rather than just lie awake trying to not remember Hell.

Sam was woken by the sounds of quiet distress. He blinked wearily, trying to orientate himself and see where the sounds were coming from. He glanced over at Dean's bed to see him turning sharply, body taunt with phantom pain, whimpers escaping his throat. Normally, Sam would be pleased to see Dean asleep, despite the nightmares, especially since Dean had been getting minimum hours of sleep every night since he came back – and yes, Sam had noticed that his brother wasn't getting enough sleep, it happened when you spent enough years on the road together.

Dean's turns were getting more and more violent, his whole body turning and thrashing now, the whimpers becoming high keens of distress. Sam paled as Dean's keens became cries, and he jumped out of bed as he realised that Dean must have been lying about his memories from Hell being buried deep enough in his consciousness that he couldn't remember them. Yeah, typical Dean Winchester bullshit and avoidance.

"Sam! No, SAMMY!" Dean's cries were getting louder now, and Sam was trying to wake his brother by gently shaking his shoulders, trying to draw Dean out of the pit.

"Dean! Dean, come on man! You're not there anymore, you made it out remember? Castiel brought you out. Come on Dean, wake up!" But nothing was working, and Dean continue to thrash in his bed, the cries starting to die away, but his body continued to seize. Sam didn't know what to do – as big brother it had always been Dean's job to bring Sam out of his nightmares and comfort him when the terrors of the night got too much for him when he was younger.

But now, staring at Dean who was now whimpering in pain as he remained trapped in his dreams of Hell and whatever shit had gone down down there, he just… Didn't know what to do. He continued to shake Dean's shoulders, getting more vigorous as Dean's reaction to his memories became more violent. When he reached the next quiet patch, Sam, with tears in his eyes, lay down next to Dean, held him close and started humming a tune… He wasn't sure what it was but it sounded like a cross between 'Hey Jude' and something Metallica related.

Eventually, they both drifted back off to sleep as Dean's nightmare subsided, and Sam clung to his brother. And as they both shifted, Dean grabbed onto Sam's arm and didn't let go for the rest of the night.

The next morning, as they drove away from the motel and onwards towards Bobby's, Sam turned to Dean.

"Hey… You alright now?" Dean didn't answer straight away, so Sam resigned himself to another slightly awkward car journey where Dean kept his feelings bottled up. He settled himself against the car window, looking out with a weary sigh.

"No… But thanks." Sam looked at him in confusion.

"For what?" Dean turned his head slightly to Sam, with a look that said 'I am not getting into a chick flick moment with you right now Sammy'.

"You know what. So… Thanks." Sam grinned slightly.

"That's what brothers are for. Jerk."

"Bitch." There was silence for a few minutes. "So you do realise that I woke up this morning to you essentially spooning me, right?"

"God Dean! I do not need that image in my head right now!" Dean laughed and some of their pain melted away. Not enough to make a difference, but enough to make sure that the next night they both slept soundly.

FIN

 **A/N: So… Hello. I AM ALIVE IT IS A MIRACLE. I'm sorry for my mega long hiatus but… Life. I got into university (woop woop!), went to Copenhagen and DisneyLand over summer (and watched the entirety of Supernatural over summer ready in time for Season 12… Dedication), I'm applying to do Camp America this summer… So yeah. Life is hectic.**

 **I will try to update my Flash/Glee crossover asap, but I have lost my muse! If you find it, PM me with an idea : ) I kinda know where I want to go with it, but I have yet to get anywhere with actually WRITING it. Plus I have 4 pieces of coursework due in before Christmas. I hate statistics. And surveying.**

 **Anyway, Viva la Vida and see you round peeps**

 **17**


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